


of coins and carnations

by hyaloid



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, F/M, also ibis and lujanne just teasing the beeswax out of callum, and probably some xadian biology exploration too, cause the nuts-and-bolts of xadian magic dont get enough love round here, coins and souls, magic system exploration, obligatory rayllum fluff but like so much of it, sort of a nerdy story im not gonna lie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:08:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22172329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyaloid/pseuds/hyaloid
Summary: Callum stares at the coin. It stares back at him. He twiddles it between his fingers. It whines. And he holds back a sob because the coin is alive, and it is awake, and it is awash and aghast in some shimmering, hypnotic prison.He turns back to his books."I'll find a way out for you," he mutters. "I swear."
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 129





	1. An Original Solution

**Author's Note:**

> so even though this is a story about coins and attempted decoining, and the potential for angst is very high, this is more gonna be a story focusing on how callum figures out the decoining itself, and how he sets about unravelling all the complex magical systems that're in play in elven xadia in order to do that.  
> there will be some angst (and i might add some more angst in later on, i dont really know, im kind of just winging this whole thing), but most of it will be more speculation on magic and souls and how those different constructs operate in xadia (and chances are ill throw in some speculative anatomy and physiology too cause bio is Cool). 
> 
> (therell definitely be rayllum fluff too though cause otherwise whats the point of writing fanfic :D )
> 
> (also theres very little in this story in way of a structured cohesive plot. it really is going to be more of an exploratory-type story than a fully-fleshed out narrative)

“I don’t... I don’t believe it.” Callum’s fingers are a blur, flying across the page as he scribbles down notes and sketches out diagrams. He pauses for a second, carefully considering his most recent scrawl, then crosses it out and continues writing. “If I can... If I can somehow reconcile this spell with _this_ one, then maybe...”

The charcoal stick breaks in his hands and he _tsks_ , tossing it aside and picking up a fresh one. He turns to the spellbook lying open beside him, flipping back frantically to the contents. “Conjugation... conjugation... coalescence spells! That’ll do. _Yes_ , that should do...” 

He’s interrupted by a knock at the door. He looks up to find Rayla leaning in the doorway. Her back is pressed against the doorjamb, arms folded, and her lips are curled into a smirk. “Oh, Rayla! Hi! Hello! What’s up?”

“ _You’re_ very excited to see me. And a little bit manic. Should I be concerned?”

“I’m always excited to see you. It’s how I keep our relationship fresh.”

She laughs, her eyes crinkling up in a way that makes his heart thump. 

_She laughed at my joke!_ He frowns. _Get over yourself, she’s been laughing at your jokes for nearly seven years now_. Covering his notes with a blank sheet of paper, he sets his (eighth) charcoal stick down carefully on the table. "What's up, love?"

She unfolds her arms and fiddles with a splinter peeling out of the door. “Nothing much. I’m just here to let you know that Ibis and Lujanne have arrived. They’re waiting in the living room.” The splinter does not take lightly to being pushed into the door and springs back out, much to the elf's annoyance.

“Oh, perfect, perfect. Can you ask them to come in?”

“Sure.” She turns away, then pauses and turns back. “This is the fourth time they’ve been over this week. What _exactly_ are you three up to?”

Callum doesn’t respond. Running his fingers through his hair, he looks up at her with an apologetic smile. “I can’t say right now, sorry. It's sort of a work in progress, and we haven’t quite finished yet. But once we’ve figured everything out, then I’ll fill you in on everything.”

She arches an eyebrow. “Is it to related to your mage duties?”

“Uhh... sorta, but not quite. It’s more of a personal project.”

“Hmm...” Her face creases into a quizzical frown. She stares at him for a while, studying his eyes carefully, as if trying to discern the truth within them. He plasters on his most innocent grin. “Alright,” she says slowly, “I guess you can carry on then. But you better take care of yourself. I don’t want to come home to find out my boyfriend’s blown off his arm in some dumb magic-related accident.”

 _She called me her boyfriend!_ He clears his throat. _Oh my god, get a grip. She started calling you that a long time ago._ “Of course, one _hundred_ percent. Keeping myself safe. Got it.”

“You could not have sounded any less convincing just then.”

“Well, luckily for us, you trust me enough to know that I meant it.” He attempts his most charming wink. (it does not go well. she doesn't outright laugh, but he sees her lips twitch). “Now, please invite in Lujanne and Ibis. I’ve got something really important to show them.”

“Mmm, alright. But I’m holding you to that promise.”

"I’d expect nothing less.” A thought strikes him. “Oh, and on your way back, can you bring me another pack of charcoal sticks? They don't make them like they used to, and I keep breaking mine by accident. I've already used up eight today."

"Look at you, complaining about how things were better back in the good old days." Her words are teasing but her smile is like starlight, and a succession of breaths hitch in his throat. "You're starting to sound like my uncle Minorit. Although, you're a bit too sober for the impression to be truly accurate."

"I take it that he got along well with your stern assassin-foster-parents then."

"Oh, _famously_. Like a house on fire. Not so much with Ethari, cause he’s strict as old leather, but him and Runaan used to get _plastered_ and sing sea shanties all night long." At the mention of her former father, something flashes across her face. Her eyes suddenly grow a little cloudier, and her smile a little dimmer. She tries to hide it behind her hair, but Callum catches it nonetheless, and it breaks his heart. _Soon_ , he asserts to himself. _Very, very soon_.

A beat of silence passes. Callum hovers on the edge of his chair, unsure of how to act.

Then, Rayla taps on the doorframe. And she taps again.

And Callum understands. Rising quickly from his chair, he wraps his arms around her and pulls her to his chest, entwining his fingers with hers. She pushes her face into his shoulder. “I’m glad you started using the signal,” he murmurs. 

“Mm.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought them up.”

“It’s fine. This isn’t your fault.”

He pauses. “I’ll... I’ll find a way to bring him back. To bring _them_ back.”

“Perhaps.” And then nothing. And he feels a sniff buried into the fabric of his vest. “But maybe... maybe that just won’t be possible. And, honestly, that’s okay too.”

“You know you don’t mean that.”

“I’m gonna have to.” Her voice is low, and soft. It runs lightly on the stream of her exhale, like a murmur tiptoeing between a sob. She feels his hold tighten. “Viren’s magic is powerful, and there’s so much about him that we still don’t know. Maybe those coins are just another one of his spells that we’ll never be able to undo.”

He longs to tell her. The research, the spellbooks, the notepads filled with scribbles... it burns inside him like a lantern he cannot light. But he knows he can’t speak now. 

_Because if I get her hopes up, and then I’m wrong..._ He presses a kiss to her hair, sealing his lips tight. 

Another beat passes. This one feels longer, feels warmer. _And she smells like melodaisies._ And he doesn’t know what else to say.

Finally, she pulls away, drying her eyes on her sleeve. She heaves a sigh. “Anyway, Lujanne and Ibis are waiting. I’ll bring them in.”

“Are you sure? I can always reschedule. They’re old friends, I’m sure they’ll understan—”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll be fine.” Judging by his expression, he doesn’t believe her. She cups his cheek with her hand, running a thumb along his jawline, and presses her lips to his forehead. “I just need some time alone. But I appreciate you worrying.” His face doesn’t change and she tilts her head, lifting up the corner of her mouth. “Though you really shouldn’t frown so much. It’s gonna give you wrinkles.”

He can’t help it. He smiles. And even after seven years, it’s enough to make her heart swell. “I guess I _should_ be taking advice from the elf with alabaster skin.”

“Someone’s been reading the dictionary.” 

“I had to find more words to describe how beautiful you are.”

“Oh, you are a _shameless_ flirt.” Though the giggle still escapes. 

Her words are light. Her tone is smooth. But her eyes are still sad, and the pitch of her voice is too high to be normal. And he knows that she’s not really okay. 

_She just needs some time alone_. When the timing is better, he’ll do something more for her. Take her out to dinner, or buy her a moonberry surprise (though why she’s fond of the stuff, he’ll never understand. he’s tried it, and it tastes like a fruity trout. _maybe that’s the surprise_ , he thinks dryly).

She wraps her arms around his neck, smiling at him fondly. “You know, I have training with Soren in about half an hour. Outside. And today is an _especially_ cold afternoon.” Her fingers knot into his scarf. “I think you know where I’m heading with this.”

“At this point, I’m just a walking mannequin to you, aren’t I?”

“Glad to see you know where you stand.” Unwinding his scarf, she ties it loosely around her own neck, tossing the tail ends behind her shoulder. Her movements are deft and fluid, well-honed from years of practice. “How do I look? Suitably attractive?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

She laughs. “Shame. _Less_. Okay, okay, I’ll leave you to your complicated magic things. I think we’ve kept Lujanne and Ibis waiting long enough anyway.”

“Heavens knows what they think’s been keeping us.”

“Well, I’m coming out wearing your clothes. I don’t think that paints us in the best light.”

The blush that rushes across his face is hot and unexpected. 

She smirks and gives him one last kiss, her fingers lingering against his jaw. “Take care of yourself, magic prince.”

“I will.”

“And try to stop breaking so many charcoal sticks. At the rate we’re buying them, we’re going to lose all our money to Lineras.”

**:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:**

“So, Lujanne, Ibis, what do you think? Could it work?”

“It... It could.” Lujanne frowns, tracing a finger over one of Callum’s hastily drawn diagrams. “What does this scribble mean? I can’t understand it.”

“Huh? Oh. Oh, just ignore that. That was just me reminding myself to eat lunch.”

“Ah.” She appraises his face carefully. “From the looks of things, you haven’t been following that rule very well. When was the last time you had a proper meal?”

“Uhh... Rayla made me eat dinner a couple nights ago. But it’s okay, I’ve been having a lot of snacks.”

“Yes,” Ibis frowns from beside him, “this fruit stain that I just dunked my elbow into seems to suggest that.”

“Oh, sorry. I have tissues over there. Rayla tried her hand at jelly tarts the other day and the filling ended up runnier than it was supposed to.” Callum turns back to Lujanne. “So? What do you think? Yes? No? Back to the drawing board?”

Lujanne carefully moves her forearms off the table. Cloth like the ones her clothes were made of did not come cheap. “I think... yes. Yes, it could work. It’s not perfect, and I can already see some problems here and there, but this approach you’ve taken seems very promising.”

“I agree,” Ibis chimes in, discarding his used tissue into the waste bin. “It’s clearly a rough draft, but it shows great potential. This is a very clever solution. How’d you come up with it in the first place?”

“I actually got the idea from something Rayla told me a long time ago. It’s an old Moonshadow assassin adage: _just as the moon reflects the sun, so death reflects life_. They use it in a more philosophical sense, to relate their assassinations to the preservation of future lives. But it made me wonder, what if these coins don’t actually contain the souls of the elves themselves? What if they’re just reflections, _representations_ , of where the souls truly are? That’s why I got you to inspect them, Lujanne.”

The moon mage nods. “And you were right to do so. The coins themselves are nothing special. They were enchanted with a weak glamour to make them _seem_ like someone was trapped inside, but it was nothing more than a simple illusion. Once you reversed it, then the coins reverted back to normal pieces of metal.”

“It makes sense if you think about it. Viren went to a lot of trouble to try and acquire these souls. It wouldn’t be safe to store them in something as mundane and easily misplaced as a coin.”

“Then where else could the souls be?” Ibis asks.

“Viren only owned one artifact that could hold something as powerful as a Xadian soul. And he carried it with him whereever he went.”

Ibis gasps. “His staff!”

Callum nods. “Horrible, isn’t it? A Xadian weapon used to capture Xadian souls. Viren probably found it somewhat ironic.” He frowns. “What I still don’t understand is why he would make the coins in the first place. It’s not like they served any purpose.”

Ibis grimaces. “From what I’ve heard, your high mage revelled in trickery and deceit. He probably crafted them as a deliberate red herring.” The distaste on his face is palpable. “Besides, they do provide a unique form of torture. There’s nothing quite as psychologically damaging as watching a loved one trapped inside a small metal cage.”

“Well, let’s never mind that now,” Lujanne interjects. “What’s done has been done, and now we hold a path forward. The first thing we have to do is figure out how to separate the energies of the different elven souls. With so many of them collected in one place, there’ll undoubtedly be some level of entanglement and confusion.” She shudders. “I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if we only got _half_ of someone’s soul out.”

“Ah,” Ibis grins. “That’s where I come in.” Reaching into his satchel, he pulls out a large, heavy book. “When a Skywing mage first learns how to fly, they often do so by studying the anatomy of birds, and using its wing structure as a guide for their own transformation. But in order to understand its internal composition, and translate that anatomical detail into magical energy, the mage needs to first build a spiritual connection with the bird, communicating with its soul and understanding the flow of magic inside it.”

Beside him, he sees Callum staring with rapt attention. He suppresses the urge to laugh. _Even after practicing magic for so many years, he still behaves like an excited child whenever he hears it being discussed. It’s no wonder he managed to pick it up so quickly._

“That process is very dangerous. Souls are naturally amorphous energies, which flow and bend with almost zero restraint. If two or more souls come into contact with one another, _especially_ those within the same primal arcanum, then they very quickly will blend, and merge into a single spiritual structure.”

He points to the book in his hand. “This is an old magical textbook written to stop that from happening. It’s essentially become a standard in Skywing mage training. It details how a mage can communicate with another soul while retaining their own spiritual identity.” The mage frowns. “It doesn’t fit our situation _perfectly_ , but its academic fundamentals are very similar. I think that if we put our heads together, and spend a little time on it, we _should_ be able to adapt its techniques to separate the trapped souls.” 

Once he’s done talking, Ibis wipes the rest of the jelly stain off the table. He turns to Callum. “Don’t forget to blink, Callum. Being really excited about magic won’t stop your eyes from drying out.”

The boy blushes. “You agreed to stop teasing me about that.”

“Old habits die hard. Besides, you shouldn’t be ashamed about it. I’m sure Rayla finds your excitability very attractive.”

“Ibis!”

The mage laughs, ducking Callum's attempted swat. “Outside of your aunt, you and Rayla are the first human-elf couple to ever come out publicly with their relationship. You’re gonna have to get used to people making comments about it.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to join in. You don’t see Lujanne embarrassing me like this.”

“Actually, I was just holding off on my comments because I thought it’d be inappropriate.” The moon mage’s smile curves into something devious and unhinged. “Now that I know it’s on the table, I’ll be much more open with airing my judgements and concerns. It’s for your own good, after all.”

“It’s _not_ on the table, and you _should_ keep your comments to yourself. Don’t follow Ibis’ example.” Callum side-eyes his former mentor warily. “You were much kinder to me when we first met."

"You were the protector of the Dragon Prince. The first human to ever unravel a primal arcanum. How _else_ could I treat you other than with civility and deference?"

"I'm _still_ the protector of the Dragon Prince and _still_ the first human to ever understand a primal arcanum. I’m just not the only one. Surely, that affords me _some_ respect."

"Afraid not. You lost that privilege when you accepted me as your teacher. Everyone knows that a student must always look up to their mentor, former or otherwise. Isn't that right, Lujanne?"

"It's true," the moon mage agrees. "I've had _many_ students over the years, and _all_ have treated me with great respect, even after they became masters of their own. Some things just don't change."

Callum sighs. "I hate it when you two are like this. You know I can never win against the both of you."

"Ah, well," Ibis grins, "you wait and see. You think you're so different to us now, but one day you'll get your own assortment of acolytes, and _then_ you'll see how right we are." He rubs his hands. "Now then, enough dillydallying. We have a lot of work to do, and all this chit-chat isn't going to make it any easier. Shall we get started?"


	2. A Touch Of Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so ive changed the rating to T and up just to be safe, cause our favourite canon ship gets a little... steamy, at the end. nothing explicit (literally, they kiss like, once) but i thought id change it just in case

Ibis clears his throat. Clasping his hands behind his back, he stands up stiffly in front of Callum and Lujanne, adopting the teaching position which they’re both so familiar with. “Now,” he begins, “the understanding of Xadian souls is not a perfect science—”

“Off to a cracking start there, Ibis,” Lujanne quips.

“I didn’t realise the floor was open to eccentric moon hippies,” he retorts.

Lujanne throws her hands up, grinning. “Woah! At ease there, soldier.” She wiggles her fingers in the air. “Such unique and inspired commentary on my way of life isn’t necessary.”

Ibis folds his arms, the corner of his mouth lifting up. “Oh, is that so?” He presses a finger to his jaw, staring up as if in thought. “Well, I suppose that’s fair. I’m sure your _multiple_ ex-husbands would have made more than enough remarks in the past already.”

The moon mage grins predatorily. “Oh, so that’s how you want to play it? Oh, you are in for it now...”

Beside them, Callum doodles inanely in his sketchbook. _Better they banter among themselves_ , he thinks, _than gang up against me_. _Though I’m sure they’ll find time to do that later as well._ He sighs quietly and deftly shades in his rough scribble of Rayla, scratching shadows against her jawline and neck.

He frowns. _Hmm, maybe I should start this one again. It’s kind of starting to look like she has facial hair now..._

He’s not sure if it’s the sleep deprivation or the fact that he hasn’t eaten properly for sixteen hours, but he’s suddenly taken down the path of what Rayla would look like as a man. 

His eyes widen.

_Okay, I was not prepared to be so attracted to her (him?). Does that say something about me?_

“Callum? _Callum?_ ” Ibis snaps his fingers in front of Callum’s face. “Are you still with us?”

“Huh?” The mage blinks his eyes blearily. “What’s going on?”

“Aha! I knew it! I _told you_ he wasn’t having a stroke.” Ibis turns to Lujanne triumphantly. “You owe _me_ twenty bucks.”

She slaps her knee. “Dammit! I _knew_ I misremembered Ignatio’s lesson. But he was always so bad at teaching me things. I always ended up losing interest...” She frowns. “Come to think of it, “spousal neglect” may have been one of the reasons why we ended up divorcing.”

There’s a knock at the door. It swings open to show Rayla, carefully balancing a tray in both arms. “Good news! I come bearing food and drinks.” She laughs as Callum’s face involuntarily pales. “Don’t worry, I got Ethari to make the jelly tarts this time. He introduced me to this magical new substance called “pectin”. His turned out a lot better.” She sets the tray down on the table.

“Ah, Rayla the Dragon Guardian serving light refreshments,” Ibis grins as she passes him a glass. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Make another comment like that, Ibis, and I’ll cut off your little finger.”

A gulp. “Yes, ma’am.”

Callum chuckles as he slides a jelly tart off the tray. “Oh right, the only person that can keep you in line is my backflipping, slish-slashing, butt-kicking girlfriend.” He lays a hand on Rayla’s wrist. “Could you stay here today to make sure these two don’t bully me?”

“I’m afraid you’re on your own. I’ve got guard duty in twenty minutes, and then I’m training up the new Dragon Guard recruits.” She grimaces. “They’re skilled, but they lack discipline.”

“Oh.” Callum’s had far too much experience with Rayla’s Discipline Drills. He unconsciously straightens up in his seat, tucking in the hem of his shirt. “Those poor bastards. I feel for them.”

“My drills weren’t _that_ bad.” Her side-eye is lethal. “They built character.”

“Mhm. They also broke my arm.”

“Oh, right.” She cups his elbow softly. “Sorry again about that.”

“Don’t be. It gave me a great excuse to avoid bootcamp drills with Soren.” Suddenly, his eye twinkles, and he flashes her his highest wattage grin. “But... if you really want to make it up to me, you can stay here and keep these two’s abuse away.”

She laughs. “You’re a grown man. Surely, you can take care of yourself.” He forces back a wince as she wallops him on the shoulder. “Grow a little backbone, cowardly prince.”

He can’t help but blush. “Well, when you put it that way...”

Rayla smirks. Touching him lightly on the forearm, she stands up and dusts off her hands. “Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I’ve got to go and suit up. Even with Ethari helping me, it still takes me fifteen minutes to get my stupid armour on.”

She pauses in the doorway. “Oh, and that reminds me, Callum, don’t forget you have an appointment with Laxoth tomorrow. You need to get re-measured for your shoulderguards.”

“Oh, was that tomorrow?” Callum curses under his breath. “Shoot, I completely forgot.” He turns to Lujanne. “We’re gonna need to reschedule lunch.”

“Just as well. I just remembered that Ignatio asked me to help out with his class on Magical Healing.”

“But you’re not a healer.”

“But I _am_ an illusionist.” She shrugs. “He needed to get a hold of some broken arms and legs. Illusions seemed easier than getting the real thing.”

“Ah.” He turns back to Rayla. “Okay, thanks for telling me. I’ll remember this time.”

“Mmm, no you won’t. Matter of fact, I don’t know why I’m even bothering to remind you now.” She flashes him a wink. “Laxoth’s an impatient man. I’ll remind you again tomorrow.”

 _Her wink is so pretty_. Something colourful tingles in his fingertips. “O-okay. Thanks.”

She flashes him a smile (there’s a ba- _dump_ in his chest) and walks out into the hall.

After she leaves, there’s only the sound of quiet chewing. Callum gulps down his drink to soothe his suddenly too-dry throat.

Then the moment of silence passes, and Ibis and Lujanne launch into Callum at full-force.

“Ah,” Ibis says between mouthfuls, “to be young and in-love. I miss those days.”

Lujanne grins wickedly. “You never had those days. As I recall, you were too busy swotting up on studies.”

“Like your tangled string of divorces were any more successful.” The sky mage turns his head. “But I guess we never would’ve achieved quite as much as our resident human mage here _anyway_. He seems to have scored quite well in the dating department.”

“Oh yes, I agree. I suppose _he’s_ the master in this situation.”

“You’re right.” Ibis claps a hand onto Callum’s shoulder. “Master Callum, you _must_ guide us. Please teach us how to blush whenever our partners call us by our pet-name.”

“And to forget how to speak English at the sight of them winking.”

“And how to double our heart rate every time they smile at—”

“Alright, _alright_ , that’s enough.” Callum looks away, burying his flaming cheeks beneath his scarf. “I knew this peace wouldn’t last. Let’s just get on with the lesson.”

**:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:**

“Okay, back to business.” Ibis clears his throat. “Callum, how much do you know about Xadian souls?”

“Uhh... Not much, except for the fact that they’re purified forms of magical energy.”

The sky mage frowns. “Well, it’s a fair enough start, I suppose.” Picking up a charcoal stick, he draws six small squares on the piece of paper in front of him, arranged neatly into a circle. “You’re right in saying that souls are magical energy. All forms of magic, whether it be deliberate spellcasting like what us mages perform, or instinctual magic like what Rayla and her assassins can do, stem from the soul, harnessing its energy through the primal arcanum.”

He draws a dot in each of the squares. “When Lujanne first discussed the primal arcanum with you, she described it as being a kind of inherited secret, an intrinsic understanding of the primal source. And in many ways, that’s _true_ , but it’s not the complete picture.”

Holding the paper flat with one hand, Ibis joins the six dots into a large circle, and then a line radiating from each of the dots into the centre of the circle. He draws a triangle over the lines’ central intersection, then shades in the triangle and one of the squares.

“Imagine this drawing represents a normal Xadian soul. A Xadian soul is composed from all six kinds of primal magic, each of which is depicted by one of these squares. This shaded square represents your “primal lineage”, whether you’re a Moonshadow elf or a Skywing or et cetera, and this triangle represents your primal arcanum.

“The primal arcanum acts like a communication channel. It tethers the primal magics of the soul to the body, allowing a kind of cross-exchange between the two. When we cast magic, we pull magical energy from the soul. The primal arcanum converts that energy from a spiritual form to a physical form, allowing us to channel it through our body and into a spell.”

He points to the lines radiating towards the centre. “Technically speaking, a connection exists between all six types of primal magic and the primal arcanum. However," he thickens the line between the shaded square and triangle “the communication will be strongest at the primal lineage. That’s the kind of magic the body is best-suited to utilise and it’s why, for example, Moonshadow elves can cast moon magic so much more easily than they can sky magic. Although there _are_ exceptions to that rule.”

“Like Aaravos,” Callum says.

“Like Aaravos. Though the path he took to achieve that kind of power is... unsavoury, to say the least.

“In any case, this is the basic template of the Xadian soul. At its most fundamental level, every Xadian soul will be structured like this. That being said, there does exist _one_ particular feature which sets each soul apart from its neighbour; whats commonly referred to as its "signature"."

"A signature?"

"It's like the identifier of the soul, or its spiritual biomarker. If we could quantify the soul as a physical object, it'd be analogous to its colour."

"So every soul has a unique colour?"

"Exactly. And if we're going to disentangle those trapped souls from each other, I think our best bet would be to use these signatures. When Xadian souls combine, what happens is that they each get split up into their six primal magic constituents, and then those constituents get hopelessly jumbled together.”

He points to the corner of the room, where Viren’s staff sits. “That jumble is what we currently have in your High Mage’s staff. If we can separate that jumble back out into the individual soul constituents, and then identify which constituents originally belonged to which souls by way of their signature, then we should be able to slowly build the individual souls back together."

His fingers flutter in the air, as he searches for a suitable analogy. “It’d be a bit like trying to solve a spiritual jigsaw puzzle. _If_ you were attempting to solve a hundred jigsaw puzzles at once, and all the pieces had been mixed up into one disordered pile.”

“Oh,” Callum says.

"It's been done before," Lujanne adds. "On a much smaller scale, and it wasn't a _perfect_ separation, but it was the closest Xadia had ever come to soul disentanglement. This isn’t exactly an easy task we’ve signed ourselves up for."

"Hmm..." Callum wrinkles his nose in thought, "I suppose it could work. But you guys are the experts. How would we go about it doing it?"

"Well," Ibis says, "eventually, we'll need to develop a detailed understanding of the six primal magics, so that we can learn to distinguish them in the spiritual plane and hopefully separate out the jumble. But first, we'll need to find a spell that lets us detect and understand the soul constituents’ signature in the first place."

Callum gulps. "You don't mean—"

"Yep," Ibis hauls another heavy book from inside his satchel. "It’s your favourite thing to do. More research."

**:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:**

"Okay, I finished reading this book."

"And?" Ibis asks.

“And nothing. This book didn’t have the answer. Give me the next one.”

“Someone’s agitated,” Lujanne smiles from the corner. “Maybe you should take a break.”

Callum grunts, stretching his arms over his head. He cricks his neck. “I suppose you’re right.”

“I always am.”

“Wildly untrue,” Ibis interjects, then ducks as Lujanne hurls a stunning spell at him. “Careful!”

“I’m gonna go get something to eat then,” Callum says, and wanders out of the room. “I wonder if there’re any jelly tarts left...”

“Bring me back some!” Ibis calls. “But only if Ethari made them!” he hastens to add. Lujanne sends him a judging smile, and he shrugs. “What? These books are expensive. I can’t afford to get jelly stains on them.”

**:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:**

“Tell me, Callum, do you ever notice Rayla flirting with you?”

“Flirting?” The mage frowns and looks up at Lujanne. “Rayla doesn’t flirt with me.”

“Course she does. She _is_ dating you after all.”

“Well, yeah, that's my point.” Callum puts his book down, setting his bookmark carefully into place. “There’s no need for her to flirt with me if we’re _already_ together.”

“Oh, is that what you think?" The moon mage shakes her head. "There's _always_ a need for flirting. You don’t think all that teasing she does to you counts as flirting?”

“Well, not reall—”

“Or all the winking? The grinning? How about when she tilts her head and gives you that little smile? Or when she ties her hair up into that braid you once said you liked?”

“She doesn’t—”

“And look at what you’re eating,” she points accusatorily at the snack in Callum’s hand. “Jelly tarts! You know, we don’t have those in Xadia. They’re a purely human food. And she learned how to make them for you.”

"But—"

"So, let's see here." Lujanne starts counting off her fingers. "Teasing, winking, doing her hair up, baking. I don't know about you, but when I put all of those together, it sounds a lot to me like she's still flirting with you."

“Oh, w-well, when you say it like that... I didn’t realise...” Callum ducks his blush behind his scarf.

“Hah! Aha!” Lujanne stabs a finger at him. “You’re blushing!” She whips her head round to Ibis. “How long was that?”

“A minute and forty-eight seconds.”

“Hah! Under two minutes.” She holds her hand out. “You owe _me_ thirty bucks. Pay up.”

**:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:**

"Ugh," Callum groans, stumbling out into the living room. "If I never read another book again, it'll be too soon."

"You're finished early," Rayla remarks, sliding a whetstone against her blade. It makes a satisfying _shiik_ noise, and she nods in approval. "Did all those late nights finally work out?"

"They did. We finally figured out how we wanted to go about all this." He collapses onto the couch, covering his face with his hands. “Course, it wasn't helped by the fact that Ibis and Lujanne kept making all these _stupid_ bets every half hour and wasting time.”

"Oh? About what?"

"I couldn't even tell you. I _think_ one of them was about me crying. Or having a heart attack. Something like that." He peers at her between the cracks in his fingers. "I don't know; honestly, I don't even remember anything that's happened in the last few days unless it's something I've written down."

“Can you at least remember who's winning?”

“Uhh...” He stares at the ceiling in thought. “I _think_ Lujanne? At last count? I'm not sure, it’s all been getting pretty complicated to keep track. They’re each keeping running balances, but I’m pretty sure they don’t match.”

She chuckles. The sound is quiet, and in the context of everything else its just a meaningless little laugh, but it still warms something inside Callum’s chest.

"You know,” the elf muses, “you still haven't told me what all this research is about yet."

"Mmm, I suppose I haven't."

She side-eyes him warily. He grins at her and wiggles his fingers.

They stare at each other for a long second.

Then, (mercifully) she lets the subject drop. "Well, I'm glad it's at least going well."

"Thanks." He moans. "Gods, I have the worst headache." Massaging his temples softly, he closes his eyes and tries to soothe the squeezing in his skull. "How was your day? Good? I'm sorry I haven't been around much recently, what with all the late nights and researching."

"No need to apologise. I'm getting along perfectly well without you."

"Wow, I'm going to pretend like that doesn't make me want to cry."

Rayla laughs (and its loud and bright and _beautiful_ ) and puts down her blades. She walks over to the couch and sits beside him. There's a grunt, and then she looks down to see Callum's head sliding smoothly into her lap. 

She rubs his hair affectionately. "You're like a cat," she smiles.

"Meow."

"What a terrible cat impression."

"Hurtful."

They sit in contented silence for a few minutes, enjoying the touch of each other's company. Rayla's fingers glide over his face, brushing over his cheeks and nose, and he fights back the urge to giggle.

"Stop it, you know I'm ticklish."

She smiles fondly. "Sometimes, I wonder how someone so smart can be found in someone so weird."

"And you don't think that other times because I'm normally so normal?"

"No, it's cause I don't think you're smart."

"Oh."

"Mhm."

He sits up, swinging his legs off the couch. He faces her with piteous eyes. "This relationship is bordering on semi-abusive."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic."

"I'm not."

"I'm gonna change your mind then."

"Oh?"

Leaning over, she knots her fingers into his scarf and pulls his lips against hers. This kiss is warm, hard and with incredible pressure, and he feels his eyes involuntarily close, his pulse involuntarily quicken. She runs her tongue languidly along his lower lip, then slides them across the tips of his teeth, and her free hand rests on his hip. 

He thinks he might just swoon.

Then, her fingers migrate to a more central position, and her palm presses against him with an exquisite tingling. He muffles a groan against her mouth.

Yep, he's definitely about to swoon.

Her lips release him. She smirks cockily, arching an elegant eyebrow upwards. "Still think I'm abusing you?"

"No, no, not at all." He takes a minute to catch his breath. "No, you're the best girlfriend ever."

"Mmm, I thought so." She stands up, and fixes him with a look that makes his heart melt. "How's your headache?"

"Good, good. Feeling much better."

"Good." She bites her lower lip. "In that case, why don't we go up to bed, and you can indulge me in being the best boyfriend ever?"

It takes him a second to get it. "What do you mean by— Oh. Oh!" He gulps. " _Oh_." He needs a glass of water. "Yes, what a great idea. I agree." He hopes his nervousness isn't unattractive. _But stars, she is so beautiful._ "Let's— let's go do that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man i cant stop writing rayllum fluff. this chapter was meant to be like half as long but when i got to that last scene i just couldnt help myself

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> also, if you ARE looking for an emotional story about decoining and all the angsty ramifications of that, theres an amazing fic called "(if time is money then) i'll spend it all for you" by spiritypowers and wordswithdragons which id definitely recommend. its elegant, its poignant, its got beautiful aged-up rayllum; it's everything you could ever want in a character-study story (and it's written super duper well too)


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